Shock absorber



March 25 1924;-

R. M. GRUSS SHOCK ABSORBER Filed Nov. 23 1922 Patented Mar. 25, 1924.

UNITED STATES ROLAND M. Gauss, or SAN FRANCISCO', CALIFORNIA.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

Application led November 23, 1922. Serial No. 692,870.

To all lwhom t may com-ern Be it known that I, lROLAND M. GnUss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of San Francisco, county of San Francisco, State of` California, have in vented a new and useful Shock Absorber, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention Arelates in general to a soi-'called shock absorber as used in combination with the spring suspension of motor, and other vehicles, for relieving the wear and tear on the spring suspension and other parts of the vehicle structure as well as relieving. the occupants of the effects of unpleasant jolts and other shocks when the vehicle traverses rough and uneven road surfaces.

Since there are several different types of shock absorbers used at the present time I will more particularly identify the device which I have in mind as an air spring. In otherwords, I have proposed to use an air cushion realized from employing a head of air within a cylinder as the primary cushioning means. In the conventional type of these so-called air springs it has been a common practice to use oil or other like mediums in combination lwith the air cushion, and with the oil in many instances acting as a secondary cushioning means. In most of the well-known types the air cushion has been incorporated in the upper part of the device and with the oil also located in the upper part. Experience has shown that there are many disadvantages in confining the oil in the upper art of the cylinder. One of these outstan 'ng disadvantages is leakage due to the factthat it is practically impossible to properly confine the oil within the upper part of the cylinder due to the intermittent pressure w ich is imposed on the same, 'tending to force it by washers and lother sealing means which are not properly set, or even if worn will permit the oil to seek a lower level in the cylinder of the de vice which will result in leakage and otherwise interfere with the proper function of the movable parts.

To overcome the above noted disadvantages and at the same time having other objects in view, I propose to confine the, oil or other like medium, as the case may be, in the lower part of the cylinder, and to take proper measures to prevent leakage to the outside of the cylinder.

The preferred construction of my improved device isillustrated in the accom- -panying drawing in which Figure l is a vertical section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2, and Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2 2 of Fi re 1. n

Referring nowvto the drawing in detail (1) represents the cylinder of the device which is preferablyA made as an elongated sleeve member having a cap (2) threaded into the to thereof to close the opening therein, an vwith its bottom closed by a combination cap and bracket (8) which is threaded to the outside of the cylinder and embodies in its construction an upstanding bifurcated bracket part (4)', the ends of which terminating 1n eyesthrough whichl the bolt or the like (5) is used to engage the eye (6) of the spring structure (7) which in turn as is customary is mounted to the axle housing or other part of the vehicle.

Telescoping with the cylinder (1) is an outer casing (8) which is made to snugly fit around the cylinder as a jacket, the it between the jacket and the cylinder being such as to permit reciprocating movement of the cylinder within the jacket. The to of the jacket (9) is closed and a bifurcate extension (1Q) is provided on the side of the jacket to leave attaching ears through which a bolt or the like (11) is passed so as to engage the eye inthe frame member (12) of the vehicle body. In incorporating the device in the spring suspension, instead of connecting the spring (7 by a shackle or the like to the frame member (12) of the body, the shackle is dispensed with and the device connected as just described. To properly brace the jacket as well as the entire device, I su gest providing a bifurcated extension (13% adjacent the top of the jacket, and to use a bolt (14) through the eyes of the extension with the same passing through the eye (15) of the rod (16) and with the opposite end of the rod rigidl fixed byv a base plate (17) and bolts (18)7 to the plane surface on top of the frame member (12). The 'connection realized by the bifurcated extension (13') with the bolt (14) and the eye (15) of the bracket (16) leaves the jacket (8) free to reciprocate without bein retarded by the brace. i

The cylin er (1) is made with a reduced diameter .for a part ofthe length of the internal bore thereof, and an enlarged di .lil

ameter tor the remaining part or the lengt within the hollow of the piston through the valve connection (21) in the bottom of tue closure (3) and 'with this valve connection including an attached communicatin pipe or tube (22) which extends into the hollow so that air may be pumped into the same :tor maintaining the desired pressure. l The piston (19) is made with a rod (23) which extends through an opening in the closed top (2l) andthe top is made with an annular upstandin ange to receive a cup washer (25), the en s of which being turned downwardly into thel space between the flange and the walls or the cylinder, and a disc (26)(overlies ythe cup washer to hold it in place. rlhe rod (23) is made with an enlarged diameter as at (27) and with the end of the enlargement threaded as at (28) to receive a nut (29) in the hollow ot the piston so that the still greater enlargement (30) of the rod may be used in combination with the nut for clamping the dise (26) and the cup washer (25) on top of the piston. The enlarged part (30) of the rod entends through an opening in the cap (2) and through the top 9) of the jacket (3) where the threaded en thereof is engaged by suitable nut (3,1). A spacer( 32) is lett between the top of the iston and the top (f3) of the jacket. The ower end ci? the rod `(23) isthreaded as at (33 to receive a nut 34) so as to confine t e cu washer (35) etween the discs (36) and (3%). The discs (36) and (37) as well as the cup washer are perforated as at (33) so as tcleave restricted communicating passages loetween the hollow v(2O) of the piston 19) and the bottom art of the cylinder. e diameter of the isc (36) is equal to that of the piston but the diameter of the ,cup washerA (35), after the perimeter ef the same is turned down as shown, is substantially that of the diameter of the enlarged diameter of the cylinder, which leaves a closed. space (39) between the walls of the piston and the walls of the c linder. The tube (22) for introducing a cad of air within the hollow of the piston extends through one of the restricted passages (38)..

tially as shown in Figure 1 in the drawing, when the vehicle to which the device is applied encounters a rough road surface, such for instance as a bump and the frame meinincarna ber (l2) and the spring (7) move apart, that 1s to say, the resiliency of the spring tends to shove the body away from the wheels as the vehicle rides over the bump, the connection between the spring (7) and the cylinder will tend to pull the cylinder down and the connection etween the piston and the frame member y(12) will tend to pull the piston up. To check or `absorb the rebound of the spring a head ot air is maintained in the hollow (20) of the piston and the same'is sealed therein by quantity of oilL in the lower part of the cylinder, and with the level o'f the same extending into the hollow of the piston slightly above the restricted passages therein, or rather slightly above the end of the piston shirt. As theY piston goes u there is a slight checking e'ect realize bythe air in the space in the cylinder above the piston and the air in the space within the jacket above the cylinder, but1 the air in these spaces may be maintained at atmospheric pressure so that there is practically no decided cushionin e'ect realized. However, on the reboun the tight :t between the cu washer (35) and the enlarged diameter o thecylinder will tend to torce the oil through the restricted passages (38) into the hollow or the piston against the head et air that is maintained therein, and thus a decided cushioning edect is realized. ln some instances the rebound actif'inv will be so severe as to compress the head of air in the hollow of the cylinder to the utmost, thus leaving a tendency for the oil to go somewhere else except through the restricted passages (38). 'lo prevent the same from being forced between the outer walls of the piston an the inner walls of the cylinder, l propose to utilize the space (39) so that should any oil be forced in this direction it will be trapped in this space (39) and as the piston goes up in the cylinder, when the vehicle encounters another rou h surface or bump the space (39) will be e.

creased, which will pump the oil trapped therein back int-o the lower part of the cylindenx The cup washer on the top of the piston. 'will act as an extra safeguard should any oil pass the space (39) and reach the (top of the piston.

l claim:

1. ln a shock absorber, a cylinder the internal bore of the cylinder having a iam? eter for a part of its length greater than that of other parts of its length, a hollow reciprocating piston fitted within the reof the e arged diameter :of the cylinder bore, and a quantity of oil in the lower partl of the cylinder sealing the head of air in the hollow of the piston.

2. In a shock absorber, a cylinder, a relatively long hollow piston mounted for reciprocation within the cylinder, the internal bore of the cylinder fitting the diameter of the piston for a part of its length but leavingv a space between the piston and the cylinder around the lower end of the piston, a perforated closure for the lower end of the piston, the diameter of said closure being 'substantially equal tothat of the atest diameter of the cylinder bore to c ose said space between the piston and cylinder, a, head of air in the hollow of the piston and a quantity of oil in the lower part of the cylinder for sealing said air within the hollow ofthe piston.

3. In a shock absorber, a cylinder, a re1- atively long hollow piston mounted for reciprocation within the cylinder, the internal bore of the cylinder fitting the diameter of the piston for a part of its length but leaving a space between the piston and the cylinder around the lower end of the .piston a perforated closure for the lower end of the piston, the diameter of said closure being substantially equal to that of the greatest diameter of' the cylinder bore to close said space between the piston and cylinder, a head of air in the hollow of the piston and a. quantity of oil in the lower part of the cylinder for sealing said air within the hollow of the piston, and a valved air filling communication on the outside of thc cylinder extending through the perforated closure for the lower part of the piston and into the hollow thereof.

ROLAND M. GRUSS. 

